Because We Will Always Be There For You
by ButterflyMeadow
Summary: One-shot, brotherly fluff, SAINW, 2003-verse, can be seen as Because We Will Always Be Brothers sequel. Don's nightmares return, this time causing him to hallucinate with a high fever! How will his brothers help him get back to reality, and ease his pain?


**A/N: Well, school's started, so I haven't been able to update any of my stories (BTW, sorry about **_**Sister of Fate**_**—I haven't updated for about three months! ^.^;) Anyway, here's a one-shot I thought of a couple days ago! You can kind of see it as a sequel to **_**Because We Will Always Be Brothers**_**, but it can be read independently (if you can though, please read the other story too!). Enjoy! Oh, and I noticed I spelled 'Draco' wrong in my other stories; it's actually 'Drako' :P**

**Disclaimer: -whistles- Nothing here . . .**

**Because We Will Always Be There For You**

**By Meerca aka Butterfly Meadow**

Raphael sighed in annoyance; he'd been trying to sleep for at least an hour, but he didn't feel the slightest bit of drowsiness. Rolling over, he propped up his arm on his pillow and turned his eyes to the bed next to him. The red-banded Turtle sighed in relief to see his immediate younger brother, Donatello, sound asleep. Ever since the three other Turtles found out about Donnie's nightmares, one of them slept with him every night (Mikey snored too much, so Raph and Leo usually slept with him). It had been a week, and Donnie was doing just fine.

Raph stood, deciding have a snack if he was up. He looked down at Don again; though he'd never say it aloud, Donnie looked adorably innocent when he was asleep. Patting the genius Turtle's forehead, Raph meandered into the kitchen.

_Mikey better not have hogged all da Dibs like last time,_ Raph thought, cracking his knuckles. _Or he's gonna get an earful from me . . ._ Opening the freezer door, he was glad to see the red carton of chocolate-covered vanilla ice cream pieces. In the back of his mind, Don's voice was reprimanding him about how things like chocolate make you stay awake, but Raph brushed it aside and popped a couple of Dibs in his mouth.

"Raph!" Michelangelo sprinted into the kitchen, his orange mask tails flying out behind him.

"Yeesh, Mikey, can ya evah keep yer voice down?" Raph hissed. "You'll wake Master Splinter!"

Mikey quieted, but his sky blue eyes widened with urgency. "Raph, Donnie—!"

That was all it took for Raph to start sprinting to Don's room. _Crap!_ he cursed himself. _I shouldn'tve left Donnie alone! I'm such an idiot!_

Raphael skidded to a halt in his little brother's doorway. Donatello was crying softly and flailing weakly in Leonardo's arms, as if trying to escape from something. The blue-masked leader was trying to soothe his younger brother, but it didn't seem to be working.

"Leo, wat happened ta him?" Raph went to Don's other side. The genius Turtle's light chocolate eyes were misted, but wide open!

"I don't know!" Leo responded, rubbing Donnie's shell. "I heard him whimpering something and came to check, and he was about to run into the wall! I think he's hallucinating or something—he's got a fever, too!"

"Stop . . . stop . . ." Everyone looked at Don in alarm. The purple-banded Turtle was whimpering softly. "Don't . . . no . . . don't . . . hurt . . . please . . . not . . . brothers . . ."

The three Turtles immediately knew what horrific nightmare was taking place in Donatello's intelligent mind.

"Sh-should I call Master Splinter?" Mikey asked hesitantly. "Maybe he'll know what to

do—"

"No, let Sensei sleep. We can handle this." Leo's confident leader voice took over. "Mikey, Donnie loves hot cocoa, so make him some to go with the Tylenol pills. Raph, get a bowl of cold water and a towel."

"Got it!" The two other Turtles were out of the room in a flash.

Leo looked down at Don sadly and tightened his grip as his younger brother kept fighting to get away. _I hate you so much right now, Drako,_ Leo seethed, anger bubbling in his throat. _Making our most innocent brother suffer through that horrifying nightmare . . ._

"Stop! Stop . . . no . . . please . . . take . . . me . . ." Donnie sobbed, his arms stretching out. "Not them . . ."

The leader's anger abated as he tried to comfort his distressed brother. "Donnie, nothing's wrong, I'm right here . . ."

"Someone . . . stop . . . stop . . . Shredder . . ." Don's whimpers were getting fainter.

Leo enveloped his younger brother in his arms, fighting the tears stinging at his eyes from seeing Don so helplessly afraid. "I'm right here, little brother . . ."

"NO!" Don suddenly screamed. "Please no . . . Leo . . . Raph . . . Mikey . . . no . . . why . . ." Donnie's voice muffled. "Help . . . them . . . please . . ."

Leo kissed and nuzzled the top of Don's head. "Shh, Donnie, easy . . ."

Leo looked up as Raphael put a bowl of water and a cloth on the table. He stared at Don, then asked, "How's Donnie holdin' up?" Raph cleared his throat of its croakiness.

"He's still delusional . . . where's Mikey?"

"He's almost done wit da hot chocolate . . ." Raph bent down next to Don, who was still mumbling, "Help . . . them . . ."

"Let's try cooling down his fever a little." Leo stood and placed his younger brother carefully onto the bed and pulled up the blanket. Meanwhile, Raph soaked the cloth and put it on Don's feverish forehead. Don twitched, but kept whimpering.

"I got the cocoa and the cold med, Leo," Michelangelo announced, putting the container of tablets and the mug on the table.

"Thanks, Mikey." Leo re-soaked the towel and put it on Donnie's forehead again.

"Is Donnie any better?" Mikey asked, sitting on the side of Don's bed.

"He's still seeing the nightmare." Leo winced as the genius Turtle gave a sharp cry.

"Man, I wish we could do something . . . it's like he doesn't hear us!"

Leo removed the cloth and put a hand on Don's forehead. "Still burning up." Leo unscrewed the cap of the Tylenol bottle and tossed out a pill. "Mikey, can you hold him up so I can give him the medicine?"

"No prob, Leo." Mikey put his arm under Don's shell and heaved him up. Leo picked up the mug of cocoa and blew on it, just in case. Very carefully, he coaxed the pill into Donnie's mouth and brought the mug to his lips. Thankfully, Don swallowed the pill and cocoa without trouble.

But Don was still whimpering, and it was getting louder. "Leo . . . Raph . . . Mikey . . . stop . . . SOMEONE STOP SHREDDER!"

"Donnie!"

Raph watched Leo and Mikey try to console Donnie, anger and sadness constricting his throat. "Damn you, Drako," he hissed, throat burning. "Why da fuck didja make _Donnie _go through dis hell?"

"Raph!"

"It should've been _me_," Raph fumed, his eyes prickling. "I'm da one who's rash, da hothead, da one who can handle dis kinda stuff! Not Donnie . . . _never_ Donnie . . . it's all my damn fault . . . I'm such a terrible brother . . ." Raph put his face in his hands, his tears dripping out.

"Raph . . ."

The sai-wielding Turtle perked at Don's soft voice.

"Don't . . . blame . . . not . . . your . . . fault . . ."

The three other Turtles exchanged surprised looks.

"You're . . . not . . . terrible . . ." The mist in Donnie's light chocolate eyes was clearing up. "You're . . . my . . . brother . . . not . . . terrible . . ."

Donnie's eyes found and held Raph's caramel hazel ones. "I . . . love . . . you . . . Raphie . . ." His voice was fading, and his eyes closing. "I . . . love . . . you . . . _oniichan_ . . ." His eyes closed.

The three Turtles didn't know what to do, until Mikey put a hand on Don's forehead. "Guys, his fever's down!"

Leo smiled in relief, and stroked Donnie's head. "Thank goodness."

Raph stared at his younger brother's now calm face and wiped away more tears—but not because he was hurting for Donnie. With a rare smile, he bent over and took Donnie's hand. He kissed his younger brother's forehead and whispered, "I love you, too, _otoutochan_ . . . I love you, too."

**A/N: And there it is! Please R&R! :)**


End file.
